As the NCAA Season 101 volleyball tournaments approach the home stretch, Colegio de San Juan de Letran has firmly established itself as the frontrunner in the women’s division, while San Beda University continues to pull away from the rest of the field in the men’s competition.
Leading the way for the Lady Knights and the Red Spikers are seasoned stalwarts Judiel Nitiura and Axel Van Book, respectively.
Letran survived a scare from Emilio Aguinaldo College last February 27, pulling off a hard-earned 25-19, 25-23, 23-25, 25-27, 15-13 victory to stay unbeaten in Group B with a 10-0 record.
Nitura fronted that five-set escape with 21 points built on 20 attacks as the Intramuros crew moved closer to sweeping the group stage with three games left in its schedule.
The opposite spiker's stellar performance helped secure the Lady Knights’ twice-to-beat advantage, and her commendable outing against EAC earned her the Collegiate Press Corps’ NCAA Player of the Week honor for the period of February 24 to March 1, presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
Nitura edged out Mapua University’s Raissa Ricablanca, San Beda University’s Janelle Bachar, and San Sebastian College’s Juna May Gonzales for the weekly award co-presented by Discovery Suites and Buffalo Wings N’ Things.
In the men’s division, San Beda dispatched Lyceum of the Philippines University in straight sets before surviving a five-set thriller against EAC—matches that once again highlighted Axel Van Book as the driving force behind the Red Spikers’ success.
The high-flying spiker tallied 23 points on 18 attacks, four blocks, and an ace in San Beda’s 25-17, 25-14, 25-17 sweep of LPU last February 25. He followed it up with a 31-point explosion, along with 17 receptions, in the Red Spikers’ 25-13, 24-26, 19-25, 25-21, 15-11 victory over EAC last March 1.
Book’s efforts allowed San Beda to tie the Generals atop Group B with their identical 7-4 records.
Book outshone Mapua’s Arjay Ramos and Barbie San Andres, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s Rocky Motol, and EAC’s Frelwin Taculog and Ruther Abor for the weekly honor.
—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News
